Propeller



March 2, 1965 w. H. PucKE'r'r 3,171,495

PROPELLER Filed April 22, 1963 INVENTOR- MAL/AM P0630577" ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent 3,171,495 PROPELLER William H. Puckett, 159 /2 W. 94th St, Los Angeles 3, Calif. Filed Apr. 22., 1963, Ser. No. 274,713 4 Claims. (Cl. 170-17ti) This invention relates to a new and improved propeller for aircraft. More particularly, the invention relates to a propeller having greater efficiency by reason of its special construction whereby side slippage of the air from each of the blades is materially reduced and substantially eliminated.

Briefly described, the present invention comprises a propeller having a plurality of blades radiating from a hub, each blade provided with a working member of special configuration and position whereby as the propeller is rotated, the air is compacted to increase the resistance and correspondingly increased the propelling force.

As the propeller of the present invention rotates, it creates a spin and wrap to the air which tends to compact the air inwardly towards the hub, the Whole body of air spinning and spiraling.

A primary object of this invention is to provide a propeller which increases the propelling force supplied thereby without a substantial increase in the input energy.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a propeller of the type described having means integral with each of its blades for decreasing side slippage of the air.

A further object of the instant invention is to provide a propeller which will inwardly compact the air and thereby increase the propelling power.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide an improved propeller which is sturdy and durable in construction, reliable and efficient in operation, and relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture and utilize.

Other and further objects reside in the combinations of elements, arrangements of parts, and features of construction.

Still other objects will in part be obvious and in part be pointed out as the description of the invention proceeds and as shown in the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational View of a preferred embodiment of the propeller of the instant invention;

FIGURE 2 is an end elevational view of one of the blades of the propeller taken substantially on line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIGURE 3 is a transverse cross-sectional view taken substantially on line 33 of FIG. 1;

FIGURE 4 is a front elevational view of one blade of a modified propeller in accordance with the instant inventive concept, parts being broken away for illustrative convenience;

FIGURE 5 is an end elevational view of the modified blade taken substantially on line 55 of FIGURE 4; and

FIGURE 6 is a transverse cross-sectional view taken substantially on line 6-6 of FIG. 4.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawing.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, and more particularly to FIGS. 13, a preferred embodiment of a propeller in accordance with this invention is designated generally by the reference numeral 10. The propeller 10 basically comprises a hub 12 securable in any conventional manner to the vehicle (not shown) to be propelled, a plurality of outstanding arms 14 equally spaced about, and secured to or integral with, the hub 12. Each arm 14 has an arcuate blade 16 extending radially outwardly ice therefrom, each blade 16 having means 13 fixed to its terminal end to prevent slippage of, and to inwardly compact, the air encountered by the propeller 10. The means 18 includes a substantially planar working member 20 preferably disposed at an angle of approximately 22%. degrees to the longitudinal axis of its associated blade 16. The angle may vary somewhat from the preferred magnitude, but it has been found that it must be greater than 15 degrees and less than 30 degrees to provide the novel compacting function described hereinabove. Each Working member 26 extends beyond the leading edge 22 of its associated blade 16 which is curved as at 24 to tangentially approach the working member 20 to thereby increase the scooping action of the means 18.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 46 a modified arcuate blade 26 extends from an arm 28 secured to a hub (not shown) and has a means 30 for preventing slippage of, and for inwardly compacting, the air encountered by the propeller. The means 3i includes a plurality of substantially right-angularly disposed, longitudinally spaced, working members 32. Each working member 32 is arcuate and extends between the leading and trailing edges 34 and 35, respectively, of each blade 2d to increase the frictional resistance offered thereby and to thus increase the propelling power supplied by the propeller.

It is to be understood that the propeller of the instant invention may be utilized with any conventional propeller driven aircraft such as airplanes, swamp boats, ice sleds and the like.

It will now be seen that there is herein provided an improved propeiler which satisfies all of the objectives of the instant invention and others, including many advantages of great practical utility and commercial importance.

Since many embodiments may be made of this inventive concept, and since many modifications may be made of the embodiments hereinbefore shown and described, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to be interpreted merely as illustrative, and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. A propeller comprising a hub, a plurality of equally spaced, radially extending, arms secured to said hub, an arcuate blade having a leading edge and a trailing edge extending outwardly from each of said arms, and means secured to each of said blades for preventing slippage of, and for inwardly contacting, the air encountered by said propeller, said means including a working member secured adjacent the terminal end of each of said blades, said working member being disposed at an angle of between 15 and 30 degrees with respect to the longitudinal axis of its associated blade.

2. A structure in accordance with claim 1 wherein said Working member is disposed at approximately 22 /2 degrees with respect to the longitudinal axis of its associated blade.

3. A structure in accordance with claim 1 wherein said working member extends beyond said leading edge of its associated blade.

4. A structure in accordance with claim 3 wherein said leading edge is curved and tangentially approaches said working member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 652,123 Lavigne June 19, 1900 1,033,662 Blake July 23, 1912 1,129,934 Wiedling Mar. 2, 1915 1,461,913 Kelly July 17, 1923 2,014,032 Shapre et a1. Sept. 10, 1935 

1. A PROPELLER COMPRISING A HUB, A PLURALITY OF EQUALLY SPACED, RADIALLY EXTENDING, ARMS SECURED TO SAID HUB, AN ARCUATE BLADE HAVING A LEADING EDGE AND A TRAILING EDGE EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM EACH OF SAID ARMS, AND MEANS SECURED TO EACH OF SAID BLADES FOR PREVENTING SLIPPAGE OF, AND FOR INWARDLY CONTACTING, THE AIR ENCOUNTERED BY SAID PROPELLER, SAID MEANS INCLUDING A WORKING MEMBER SECURED ADJACENT THE TERMINAL END OF EACH OF SAID BLADES, SAID WORKING MEMBER BEING DISPOSED AT AN ANGLE OF BETWEEN 15 AND 30 DEGREES WITH RESPECT TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF ITS ASSOCIATED BLADE. 